Last updated on May 5th, 2024 at 09:21 pm
When it comes to getting a car, it can seem like a daunting task. What should be an exciting time can quickly turn into a nightmare if you’re not prepared! It can be even harder to choose a family car that suits everyone’s needs. When buying a car, the best family cars come with a good safety rating, are reliable and budget friendly. Each family in the UK is totally unique but there are a few factors you can consider before you head to the dealerships to help get a family car that’s fit for purpose. The guide below has been designed to help you choose the car that’s perfect for your full family.
Budget first
The first thing you should do before any car purchase is figure out your budget. This can help you to narrow down cars within your price range and get an idea of what you want for your next family car. Budgeting is especially important for any family as bills and payments can sharp rack up. There’s two ways you can choose to buy a car. You can either pay for it in cash or looking into cars on finance UK. If you’re looking to buy with cash, it can be hard to save up the full amount as both new and used cars can cost thousands of pounds to buy. Instead, you could sue some of your savings to put down a deposit for car finance and then spread the cost into affordable payments each month over a number of years.
New vs used cars
When it comes to finding the car that’s right for your family. You may be stuck on whether to choose a brand-new car or a used car. Car finance allows you to spread the cost of a car you probably wouldn’t be able to afford with cash and makes brand new cars more attractive to buyers. If you want to keep costs low, you could consider a used car as they are usually lower to buy or finance than brand new cars. However, its harder to know the history of a second-hand car so it’s worth checking it with the DVLA to get a clearer picture. Brand new cars can cost more but they tend to be more reliable, and you can usually get a better car with newer safety and security features.
If you’re going to take your family car on a road trip this summer then check out the ultimate road trip planning guide to make sure you have everything covered
Reliability
When it comes to getting the best family car, reliability can be key. You don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road because your car has broken down on the school run again! When it comes to reliability of cars, it basically means whether the vehicle needs more repairs than are normally required. Apart from an annual MOT or a service every 10k miles, if a car needs frequent maintained, it doesn’t make for a reliable car. If you’re worried about problems with your car, you could consider a new car with a long warranty such as Kia or Toyota who offer a 7-year warranty which transfers with ownership.
Space
For many busy families, space is really important. Making sure all passengers and the driver are comfortable can help make driving stress-free. Traditionally, family cars were strictly SUV’s but now with crossovers and superminis becoming increasing popular, it can be hard to whittle down to one type of body style. If you have a large family, you may already know that a 7-seater car is a no brainer for you. Alternately, if family roadtrips are your thing, a car with a large boot can be better suited.
Safety features
We know as a parent it’s really important that your children are always safe in whatever they do, and driving is no different! If you’re worried about the safety of your vehicle should an accident ever occur, you can check it’s Euro NCAP safety rating. This rating out of 5 has been awards when a car has been tested by the Euro NCAP team in tests that replicate real life car accidents. Most cars in the UK have an NCAP rating of 4 or 5/5 stars but it’s worth checking each model individually. Modern cars also now come brimming with some of the best safety features that are designed to keep the whole family safe.
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